1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a steering wheel with an electric cable to a protective gas bag impact device located in the bowl of the steering wheel of an automotive vehicle, more particularly a steering wheel having a current conductor formed essentially by a conducting strip or ribbon cable arranged in several concentric windings in a housing surrounding the steering spindle or steering wheel hub, a first end of said strip ending in a core fastened to the steering wheel hub and rotating with the steering wheel, a second end may terminate in a fixedly mounted housing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conducting connectors as those shown in DE-OS No. 30 09 109.9 perform well in actual operation, but difficulties are experienced occasionally due to the incorrect or malaligned installation of the current connector which is premounted on the steering wheel. The current cable must be mounted while the steering wheel is in its center position and vehicle wheels are set for straight line travel; a helical strip of sufficient length for approximately six turns in order to accomodate the usual maximum deflection of steering wheels is required. If the housing is rotated unintentionally in relation to the core prior to the installation, the maximum rotating angle of the steering wheel is unilaterally shorted or limited, thereby leading to potential accidents or breaking the connector, resulting in inactivation of the protective gas bag device. It is necessary to carefully test the position of the helical strip and its accurate setting in the centered position in each case. Even with an expenditure of a substantial amount of labor for inspection, the omission of the test and incorrect adjustments by an installer cannot always be prevented.